Motorcycle, Solo

United States. War DepartmentProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.0

Word count: 333K words
Chapters: 34

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Motorcycle, Solo (Harley-Davidson Model WLA) by United States. War DepartmentAuthor: United States. War Department,Language: English, Class: UG: Military science: Military engineering, Release Date: Jan 27, 2016

Editor's review

This is an original technical manual from the United States War Department on the Harley-Davidson Model WLA military motorcycle, a public-domain military engineering document. Its value lies not in readability but in its dual nature as historical source and practical reference: on one hand it presents the construction, maintenance and operating standards of the military solo motorcycle around World War II; on the other it gives a direct sense of how military technical documents of the time were structured and written. The content emphasizes structural description, operating procedures and maintenance points, organized in numbered items, making it better for reference than for continuous reading. For researchers of military equipment history, collectors and restorers of vintage motorcycles, and readers studying the evolution of technical writing, it is rare primary material. It suits desk reference or consultation rather than casual reading. Note that this is an original English technical document with dense terminology; non-specialist readers may find it dry.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Military enthusiasts studying the history of WWII military vehicles and equipment
Vintage motorcycle owners who collect or restore the Harley-Davidson WLA
Researchers interested in the format and language of military technical documents
Military engineering students who need original English source material for reference

Not a good fit for

General readers expecting a storyline or light reading
Beginners unfamiliar with English technical terms who lack the patience to consult a reference work
Those hoping for a general modern motorcycle repair tutorial

Reading tips

First skim the table of contents and chapter headings to build a structural overview, then locate specific chapters as needed.
Read alongside historical photos or physical examples of the Harley-Davidson WLA for more intuitive understanding.
Record unfamiliar mechanical terms separately and look them up together, so you don't get stuck word by word.
If using it only as a historical source, focus on the operating standards and maintenance sections and skip the pure parameter lists.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this manual suitable for repairing modern motorcycles?

No. It covers the Harley-Davidson Model WLA, a military model from a specific historical period, and its structure, parts and craftsmanship differ greatly from modern motorcycles. It can serve as a reference for understanding early mechanical principles, but it cannot replace a repair manual for modern models.

Can I read this book if my English isn't good?

This is an English technical document with dense terminology and itemized sentence patterns. Readers with weak English and no mechanical background will struggle. It is best used with a dictionary and illustrated materials, or only for reference lookup rather than continuous reading.

What is the historical value of this book?

It was written by the United States War Department and preserves the military's standards, operating procedures and maintenance requirements for the military solo motorcycle at the time. It is primary material for studying military equipment management and technical writing conventions, and it also reflects the model's role in military use.

Comments

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About the author

United States. War Department Author

The United States War Department was the branch of the U.S. government historically responsible for military affairs; this entry concerns documents compiled under its name. Public information is limited, so its specific organizational evolution and personnel are not described here. The library holds eight works under this attribution, focusing on military training and equipment operation, including manuals for noncommissioned officers and privates of infantry and cavalry, the 1911 Infantry Drill Regulations of the United States Army, and technical materials on the engineer port repair ship, the portable flame thrower, the motorcycle, and the homing pigeon. Also included is America's Munitions 1917-1918, which documents U.S. munitions production during those years. These texts are chiefly regulations, manuals, and instructions, concise and clearly organized, serving troop training and equipment use, and are primary sources for studying early twentieth-century American military institutions and technology.